The Good Doctor
by dorysblu
Summary: Doctor McCoy has to make a decision as a doctor that will challenge him as a human... Between life and death, what ultimately will he choose?


The doctor stood over the dying patient. She was dying, it was imminent. The sickness had possessed her body and she gripped his white coat pathetically. She was something straight out of a movie. His dark eyes locked on to her darker ones. The fear was palpable. She was restricted with vocal function due to a respiratory mask glued to her face. But, he could hear her weeping silently. Her eyes wept. She was dying. She knew it was imminent. A hard jolt of the ship sent everyone sailing across the room, save for the patient who was strapped down. The doctor saw stars, as did his staff. An alarm came on, "Romulan Cruiser Resuming Fire! Brace for impact!" Nobody could move in time for the second impact, which sent some of his staff straight through the open door into the hall. He held on to the bottom of the bed post with all his might. He was soon able to stand and his nurses joined him… the ones, not thrown from the room. Soon, he realized it wasn't just her life at stake, but everyone's. The human in him wanted to run. He wanted to run out of the room and into the bridge to be with those he loved most. But, he hadn't allowed Naomi to die in vain and the doctor in him overrode his terror. He wanted to save lives. That's what he was going to do. The alarm blared one last time, "BRACE FOR IMPACT!" The doctor's crew instantly grabbed onto anything they could to keep them from being thrown around. But, the doctor did not. He stood and did what he came here to do: Operate. He injected her with the anesthesia and voila, she was asleep. As soon as her head hit the pillow, the impact occurred. It was the loudest sound he'd ever heard. Like metal against metal against metal and fire. The impact nearly threw him through the wall, but he clung to her bed with a death grip. Suddenly, he witnessed three beams spear through the wall of the sick bay. He did not leave his patient's side. He knew that if he left her, those spears would do the operating for him. No. In that small moment… he remembered his Captain's eyes…

...Naomi had just passed. The good doctor had just allowed a patient to die, right in front of him, begging for help. He had tried to save her because he was a doctor. And he had allowed her to die because he was a doctor. Captain Kirk rushed to the room only to see Naomi's body, resting on the bed. The doctor stood over her, simply looking into her blank eyes. Kirk had never looked at anyone the way he looked at the doctor. It was the purest expression of despair he'd ever seen. He looked at the doctor with fear. Doctor's are normally used to anxiety, but such fear made the doctor feel as if a crime had been committed. Murder. The doctor had allowed her to pass, because he would have had to use the entire vile of anti-venom for one person, when he knew full well there were already other crew members being effected by the venom. If he saved one, he'd be killing countless others. If he killed her… he'd be killing his Captain's love. And he had successfully killed his Captain's trust...

Back at the bed, the doctor held his grip and gave a small smile. He opened his eyes and for a moment, saw his patient smiling back at him in her slumber. He knew she would be well. He took pride in that. He took pride in being a doctor. Suddenly, his body jerked from the impact of the beams. All three had speared through his body, nearly pinning him in place. He struggled to catch his breath, the pain had still not hit him, his adrenaline was too high. But, he knew it was imminent. His lead nurse shrieked and he simply released a long breath. The spears had not hit any major organs, he lied to his staff. They must continue with the surgery. During the operation, the doctor had to have his face mask changed three times because he kept coughing up blood. He refused again and again to have treatment. After the successful operation, he heard his Captain running down the hall. The doctor closed his eyes, being able to see everything without even looking. He heard the dead silence in the room as Jim Kirk laid his eyes on Bones. The Captain saw the patient had survived and was healthy and saw the sacrifice of the good doctor. Kirk, filled with turmoil, rushed to his friend's side and laid a gentle arm on his shoulder.

It was imminent. They both knew it was.


End file.
